There are many resources available to help you plan and save money for your children’s education including resources from the Government of B.C., the CanLearn website, and more.

Tools and resources to help parents save money, and pay, for their child’s post-secondary education

Ways That Help You Save
The Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond are government programs that offer parents money, every year, toward your child’s post-secondary education via the child’s Registered Education Savings Plan, or RESP. Set one up today and watch your money grow.

Tips and Strategies on How to Save
Don’t think you can find money to put into education savings? You may be surprised. The CanLearn Find Money section gives you tips and strategies to make savings a reality - even on the most modest budget. And for information on ways to make your savings increase as much as possible, check out the Grow Money section.

You can also use the Education Savings calculator to determine how much you’ll be able to save in the long term. For as little as a dollar a day, you can make a world of difference to your child’s educational future.

You may also want to watch the CBC’s Street Cents video series called Saving for School for more information on how to help kids save for their post-secondary education.

Ways to Help You Pay for Post-secondary Education
Parents with children who are almost finished high school don’t have much time left to save. These parents can explore the CanLearn Paying for Post-Secondary Education section to learn about other options that are available to them.

The Government of B.C. offers post-secondary students financial assistance through the B.C. Student Assistance Program. Look into it today. Applying can be done online through the Student Financial Assistance Online Applications section.

CanLearn also offers parents information on applying for and maintaining student loans. Go to this section to learn the details about government student loans.

Tools, tips and resources to help your children discover interests, explore occupations, and select a post-secondary school and program

Many parents focus on helping their children get financially prepared for college, university or trade school, but did you know that it is equally important to help your children explore occupations before they invest thousands of dollars into a post-secondary education?

If you are a parent of younger children, pay attention to what they enjoy and what skills they have. Are they interested in reading? Physical activities? Building things? Music? If so, you may have an author, athlete, construction worker or musician on your hands. There is no guarantee that these early interests will continue to be a life-long passion, but becoming aware of their skills and interests at this stage in life will give you valuable insight into what talents can be considered later in life when they are investigating career options.

Interest Quiz
CanLearn’s Interest Quiz is a great tool for parents with school-aged children because it helps them explore their skills and abilities and how to turn these interests into viable occupations.

Career Exploration
The Government of B.C.'s Work Futures site offers information on nearly 200 occupations. Once your children have explored their skills and interests, direct them to this site to investigate the many possible careers that are available.

CanLearn’s Explore Careers section provides a variety of tools and resources to help students investigate occupational choices. Visit it today to start your children on the road to a fulfilling career.

Develop a Learning Plan
Developing a learning plan is part of successfully exploring occupations. A learning plan helps students narrow the school and program options, and helps identify the courses needed to be eligible for the education of their choice. Go to the Making a Learning Plan section of CanLearn to get started today.

Research Post-Secondary Education Options
Before investing thousands of dollars into a post-secondary education, check out the Government of B.C.’s Education Planner and the Online Learning Directory for clear, reliable and detailed information about public post-secondary programs available in B.C. including co-op and apprenticeship programs.

Looking to compare schools and programs offered across Canada? CanLearn’s Select Schools and Program Search offers comprehensive information on about the programs at Canadian colleges, universities, and cégeps.